Keeping Pets Calm Around Holiday Guests: Why CBD can be a Helpful Choice

You're having guests over for the holidays, and your dog suddenly appears out of nowhere and lands a big welcoming paw and slobbery lick on an elderly guest. Embarrassing moments and inappropriate behavior around guests is something that can be prevented. If your furry friend gets rambunctious or nervous when guests come over, you could consider how cannabidiol (CBD) may help promote calmness. If you understand your dog's mindset, especially around large gatherings at home, you can help encourage the correct "etiquette" with your usual training and habits during the holidays. But sometimes that's not enough. In this blog, we're going to discuss how positive dog training and the use of full-spectrum veterinary-formulated cannabidiol pet products may help to ease your dog's restlessness during the holidays.

Common Holiday Misbehaviors

Victoria Stilwell explains via Animal Wellness that you should make your environment, guests included, as well as yourself, as boring as possible. This means everyone being non-reactive, not being too hyper or loud and just being calm and collected. She adds that if your furry best friend feels that it's normal and no big deal when guests come through the door and sit on your dog's favorite couch, or even when there are many guests at the dining room table, your dog won't feel that they have to respond. She adds that it's key to plan ahead of time and work on your dog's behavior around guests well before they arrive. Dogs should also become socialized to being around guests at home.

Jumping Up

Victoria explains that dogs jump up because they're excited, and it's their way of getting attention. She also explains that some dogs will jump up because they feel uneasy around strangers, and it's their way of coping with discomfort. She recommends ignoring the behavior while it's being done. She also adds a few training steps to help:

• Don’t face your dog when he jumps up at you.
• Ignore your dog and fold your arms. Look bored!
• Give a three-second break after he stops jumping, then reward.
• Repeat the training exercise if he jumps up again.

Needing Space

Your guests may even be scared of dogs. When this is the case, Victoria explains that dogs may not like strangers either. In this case, she recommends no forced interactions and says that the best thing to do is to move your furry friend to another room or add a baby gate to distance them from guests. Victoria explains that small dogs may feel extra vulnerable because of their size. They may want to defend themselves from people that seem to tower over them. She also recommends using a safety management technique to avoid issues. She explains that you should ask your guests to ignore your dog if you cannot separate them otherwise. This then gives everyone space and takes the pressure off. Dr. Nick Dodman, Animal Behavior Department at the Cummings School of Veterinary Sciences, says that aggressive or shy dogs should always go to another room away from guests. He worries about the guest being bitten and adds that frequently stressed or reactive dogs are more likely to bite someone. He explains that if you move your dog to another spot in your home, be sure to give him interactive toys to keep him busy: "If you put your dog in another part of the house, away from the action, be sure to give him something to keep him occupied. If he's going to be left in another room on his own for an extended period."

Exercise to Reduce Occasional Stress

You may consider longer off-leash time at the dog park or a long walk before guests arrive so your dog is tired by the time guests arrive. Most dogs, especially herding and sporting dog breeds, don't get enough aerobic exercise to burn off excess energy. It's important to understand that dogs don't understand bad behavior unless you teach them how to behave through positive dog training.

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid that may be beneficial for an array of health issues in pets and people. While offering tons of benefits, cannabidiol is a natural, safe supplement that is one of over 120 ingredients found in hemp oil. Full-spectrum hemp pet products can have the potential to help dogs stay calm and relaxed even with a lot of potential environmental stressors and new people over for the holidays. Consider using CBD while working together with a behaviorist to help your dog. Veterinary-formulated full-spectrum hemp oil like our VETCBD Hemp oil can help calm your pup around guests. Canine behavior is influenced by many factors like the environment, genetics, and past experiences. The occasional occurrence of restlessness and the “zoomies” in dogs is normal. There will be many situations in everyday life that may be occasionally stressful or overly exciting for your furry friend, like seeing other animals and interacting with friends and family. Yet, if your dog's behavior extremes are persistent and gets in the way of regular interactions and generally affects your dog's life, you should consult with your vet versus just turning to calming aids alone.

Dosage

Before administering any cannabidiol pet products, you'll need to consult with your dog's veterinarian to check potencies, check dosage, and make sure there won’t be interactions with other regular meds your pup may be taking. Our CBD lasts between 8-12 hours, and you can give a second dose 12 hours after the first dose if needed. Your pup will begin to feel the effects of cannabidiol within the first one to two hours, so for the best results, you should administer cannabidiol one to two hours before guests come over.

Takeaway

VETCBD Hemp oil as a natural supplement helps to promote calmness and allows your pets to live their best lives. Today, thanks to all the recent research, we understand how beneficial cannabidiol really is for both pets and people. No matter what you're teaching your dog, whether it's a proper guest greeting with no jumping, or how to behave on a car ride, to no begging, it's essential to keep in mind that some behaviors like jumping are natural and that dogs get psyched up when you get home or when guests arrive. Teaching your furry best friend proper dog greeting etiquette in your home takes time and is best done with positive dog training methods. Begin by teaching your furry best friend how to behave in different environments. As usual, basic training combined with dog sports like agility and plenty of environmental stimuli are all beneficial to your dog's wellbeing. And don't forget that a little CBD can also go a long way in helping to calm and relax even the most behaved pet that gets a little too excited when house guests come over! Sources: https://www.usdaa.com/news/the-role-of-life-experiences-in-affecting-persistence-in-dogs.cfm https://www.usdaa.com/news/training-tuesday-how-does-your-dog-know-what-you-re-saying.cfm https://animalwellnessmagazine.com/teaching-good-behavior-around-guests/